What are the responsibilities and job description for the Magnet Program Support Specialist position at Chicago Public Schools?
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is a district on the rise, serving over 320,000 students in 500 schools and employing over 44,000 people, most of them teachers. CPS has set ambitious goals to ensure that every student, in every school and every neighborhood, has access to a world-class learning experience that prepares each for success in college, career, and civic life. In order to fulfill this mission, we make three commitments to our students, their families, and all Chicagoans : academic progress, financial stability, and integrity. Six core values are embedded within these commitments – student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning.
The Department of Advanced Learning and Specialty Programs (ALSP) serves as a catalyst to empower learners to be successful and positive contributors in their school community, post-secondary pathways, and life. Through programmatic support and collaborative partnerships, ALSP provides equitable access to high-quality, student-centered programs (Advanced Placement, Gifted, International Baccalaureate, Magnet, and Personalized Learning) that develop the interests, strengths, and talents of our learners.
Job Summary :
Reporting to the Senior Manager of Specialty Programs, the Magnet Program Support Specialist will support the district’s recent Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) grant-recipient schools in their infusion of personalized learning programming to strengthen their magnet themes. The primary objective of the Magnet Program Support Specialist is to ensure that the support provided by the Office of Teaching and Learning improves both the school-level conditions and the student experience and outcomes aligned to the CPS Instructional Core Vision through the lens of Personalized Learning.
The Magnet Program Support Specialist will be held accountable for the following responsibilities :
- Design and facilitate professional learning for a variety of internal and external stakeholders that deepens their understanding of the CPS Instructional Core and personalized learning practices to support it
- Ensure that professional learning content for CPS Network Chiefs / Deputies, Instructional Support Leaders (ISLs), school leaders, central office instructional leaders, external partners, and other educators successfully achieves the following :
- Leads educators in developing, implementing, and refining network-specific professional learning plans that ensure district-wide learning is prioritized and supported within each programmatic focus area
- Builds their capacity for supporting school leaders and teacher leaders with program-specific learning
- Prepares them to lead school-based learning through coaching, team meetings, workshops, etc.
- Ensure that professional learning for Teachers and Teacher Leaders fulfills the following :
- Supports them in effectively contributing to their schools’ Instructional Leadership Teams
- Builds their capacity for leading their colleagues in program-specific learning and reflection grounded in student learning
- Collaborate with classroom teachers, school-based instructional teams, school leaders, and external partners to design and execute a school-based vision, CIWP, and a robust plan for implementing the school’s program model
- Monitor fidelity of school-wide implementation of program focus model
- Consult with school leaders on problem-solving, change management, and the design of school-wide systems and structures that enable the adoption of the school’s specialty program
- Identify trends and common needs across schools in order to inform the district-wide strategy for the specialty program’s support and adoption
- Assist teachers and school leaders in aligning their school’s program model with the instructional core and other district-wide priorities
- Support schools in preparation for successfully completing their respective certification processes
- Contribute to program-specific guidance, resources, and policy to ensure a consistent instructional vision is promoted within and across all schools within the programmatic focus area
- Collaborate with other Program Specialists to support shared initiatives
- Maintain program area expertise through staying abreast of current research, practices, and innovation in the field
- Other duties as assigned
In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Magnet Program Support Specialist must possess the following qualifications :
Education Required :
Experience Required :
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities :
Conditions of Employment
As a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to :
